Electric iron



ELECTRIC IRON Filed March 51, 1951 INVENTOR 02%; BY

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC IRON Albertine Ruelland, New York, N. Y. v Application March 31, 1931, Serial No. 526,614

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electric irons and, more particularly, to improvements in electric irons of the type shown and described in myprior patents No. 1,563,591 and No.

The type of iron described in the patents referred to comprises a body portion containing a heating element'and an elbow handle pivotally connected to the body portion and having a free end.v Electric cords are connected with the heating element terminals and lead thru the elbow handle to its free end where they enter a socket. The socket is adapted to receive the plug of a second cord which, in turn, is connected with a source of current. I

Disadvantages have been associated with this construction. The arrangement of the electrical connections in the elbow handle renders them inaccessible for repair or replacement, while the passage of the electrical connections .from the free end of the handle to the source of current is inconvenient. I

The present invention provides means whereby the above disadvantages are overcome.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro' vide in an electric iron having a body containing a heating element and having a handle with a free end, a -member for pivotally connecting the other end of the handle to the iron, said member having an opening adapted to receive the plug of an electrical conductor, whereby the iron may-be connected with or disconnected from a source of current.

Another object is to provide an electric iron as above in which the connecting member is provided with a hollow portionv adapted to receive a boss on the iron forpivotally connecting the body of the iron and the handle; the connecting member having an internal flange providingan opening which is adapted to receive and closely fit the plug of an electrical conductor.

Another object is. to provide an electric iron comprising a body portion, a handle having a free end, and a connecting member for pivotally connecting the handle to. the body of the iron, the connecting member having an'opening adapted to receive and closely fit the plug of an electrical conductor, and to provide a handle having an inclined free end, the end being inclined outwardly and downwardly.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the parts, improvements and combinations more fully pointed out hereinafter.

stand, showing the connecting member between the iron body and handle adapted to receive an electric plug; and also showing, in dotted lines, the relative position of the iron and stand when the iron is to be shipped or stowed away.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the iron in one of the positions in which it can be placed for use. Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, showing the connecting member and its internal flange, providing an openingadapted to receive and closely fit the plug or" an electrical conductor.

Figure 4 is a detail view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1 and shows the adjustable connections between the connecting member and the boss of the iron.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view .of a square shaped handle for'the iron, and

' Figure 6 is a, cross-sectional view of another form of handle, the handle being round and provided with a longitudinal notch.

In the drawing the electric iron comprises a body having a soleplate I, a cover plate 2, and a boss 3 mounted on the plate 2. Within the body of the iron is a heating element 4 connected by wires 5, with the terminals of a socket 6, carried by the boss.

The handle I, of the iron normally projects from the iron in a plane parallel to the plane of v the body of the iron, see Figure 1. One end of '3 the handle I is free and the other end is connected to the body of the iron. I

In the form shown a connecting member or sleeve, 8 is provided for connecting the handle to the body of the iron. This member has a vertical portion which may be suitably connected to one end of the handle I. The lower portion of member 8, is circular and hollow and is adapted notch l0, adapted to receive a housing generally designated II which carries a set screw H. A

coil spring I3, is carried by the housing and surrounds the set screw. One end of spring I3 is adapted to engage the head of the set screw, while the other end of the spring engages shoulders l4, provided by the housing. The set screw is adapted to pass thru the inner end wall of the housprised an electric .cord which passed from the terminals of the heating element of the iron, thru the handle to a socket at the free end of the handle. This socket was adapted to receive the plug of a second electric cord which, in turn, was connected to a source of current.

With this arrangement the electrical connections were inconveniently arranged and were often in the way of the user, while the portion of the connections which passed thru the handle was inaccessible for repair or replacement.

In accordance with the present invention the connections are so arranged as to be out of the way of the user and as to be accessible for repair or replacement. The connections do not pass thru the handle of the iron, but pass thru the connecting member between the body of iron and the handle. As shown, the connecting member 8 is provided with an internal flange I5, see Figure 3, which provides an opening adapted to receive and closely lit the plug it of a cord II, which is adapted to be connected with a source of current (not shown). The opening provided by flange I5, is adapted to receive a plug of standard size and construction. The use of special plugs is thus dispensed with and the cost of manufacture of the iron is reduced.

The iron is preferably used in conjunction wit the stand shown herein, and more particularly described and claimed in my prior Patent 1,708,-

597. The stand comprises a pair of spaced plates l8 and II. Plate ll is provided with a slot at 2|, while plate I! is provided with slots at ll, 22. The stand is supported on ieet 23, and stop plates 24 are provided at the sides for positioning the iron on the stand. In the" preferred form the feet and stop plates are composed of a single piece of metal.

The stand contributes to the utility of the iron. It provides means whereby the iron may be supported in a number of various ironing positions so that the iron may be for diiferent classes of work. It may, for ple, support the iron in an upstanding position asshown in Figure 2. 0r itmaybeusedtoenclosethebodyoftheiron when the iron is not in use or is being shipped, asshownindottedlincsinl 'lgure 1.

The present invention enables the use of the iron and stand to be improved. Heretofore, when the iron was supported in the stand in upstanding position, such as shown in Figure 2, the bandle of the iron did not rest on the support. The plug of the electrical connections which passed thru the handle rested on the support. With this arrangement there was a tendency for the iron to wabble as it was being used. By providing means whereby the electrical connections do not pass from the free end of the handle, this end of the handle rests on the support, and thus firmly supports the iron in the stand and avoids the tendency towabble.

In the preferred form the free end of the handle is inclined outwardly and downwardly to improve the support aflorded by the free end of the handle when in position such as shown in Fig ure 2.

Other forms of handle may, of course, be provided. If desired the handle 25, see Figure 5, of square cross-section, may be used. Or a round handle 26, Figure 6, may be used and provided with a longitudinal notch 21. When the form of handle shown in Figure 6, is used, one of the plates of the stand is provided with a projecting lip (not shown) which is adapted to be received 10 in the notch 21, and prevent turning of the iron when in ironing position on the stand.

Having thus described the invention, its operation will be clear. It will be understood that changes may be made in carrying the invention into effect, without departing from the principle thereof.

What I claim is:

1. An electric iron comprising a body portion having a heating element, a boss on the body portion, an electrical socket in the boss and connections between the socket and heating element,

a handle having a free end, a connecting member connected to the other end of the handle and having a hollow portion adapted to receive said boss for pivotally connecting the handle to the iron, said member being adapted to receive the plug of an electrical conductor, said member being provided with a horizontal slot, and a set screw adapted to pass thru overhanging means having a portion passing through said slot and connected to said boss, and means surrounding said overhanging means for adjustably holding said connecting member relative to said boss.

2. An electric iron comprising a body portion, having a heating element, a boss on the body portion and having a socket, spaced terminals within said socket, connections between the terminals and heating element, a handle having a free end, a connecting member connected to the 0 other end of the handle and adapted to receive the boss for pivotally connecting the handle to the iron, said connecting member having an internal flange providing an opening adapted to receive and closely fit a substantially flat plug of 15 an electrical conductor.

3. An electric iron comprising a body portion having. a concealed heating element, a boss extending upwardly from said body portion and including a plug receiving socket, spaced plug engaging terminals disposed within said socket and electrically asociated with said element, a free laterally extending handle having a depending tubular sleeve surrounding said boss and rotatable relative thereto, said sleeve having an arcuate slot, an adjustable member guided within said slot and having a terminal portion carried by said boss, 9. housing surrounding said member and resilient means confined within said housing and acting against said member, said housing having a portion coacting with said boss to prevent displacement oi said sleeve relative thereto.

4. An electric iron comprising a body portion having a concealed heating element, a boss extending upwardly from said body portion and including a plug receiving socket, spaced plug engaging terminals disposed within said socket and electrically associated with said element, a laterally extending handle having a depending tubular sleeve surrounding said boss and rotatable relative thereto, said sleeve having an arcuate slot, a member adjustable relative to said boss and carried thereby, said member extending through said slot and overhanging the latter, a

of saidsleeve relative to said boss.

5. An electric iron comprising a body portion having a concealed heating element, a boss extending upwardly from said body portion and including a plug receiving socket, spaced plug engaging terminals disposed within said socket and electrically associated with said element, a laterally extending handle having a depending tubular sleeve surrounding said boss and rotat-' able relative thereto, said sleeve having an arcuate slot having relatively enlarged terminal notches, clamping means to prevent or permit movement of said sleeve relative to said boss carried by said boss and guided by said slot and removabiy receivable in said notches.

6. An electric iron comprising a body portion having a concealed heating element, a boss extending upwardly from said body portion and in- 5 eluding a plug receiving socket, spaced plug engaging upstanding terminals disposcd within said socket and electrically associated with said element, a free laterally extending handle having a depending tubular sleeve surrounding said boss 10 and rotatable relative thereto, said sleeve having an arcuate slot having relatively enlarged terminal notches, and means for adiustably holding said sleeve relative to said boss comprising manipulatable clamping means carried by said boss 1 and guided by said slot and removably and selectively receivable in said notches.

' ALBERTINE RUELLAND. 

